SB Nation User Blog: 78Bruin

UCLA Fan Seeks Advice for Trip to K-Town for 9/12 Game

78Bruin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 23:44:00 -0000

I'm a UCLA alum (Class of '78) who is eagerly anticipating the trip to Knoxville for the Vols-Bruins game. I have been longing to attend the game since last year's game at the Rose Bowl. During the pre-game tailgating last year, I met so many UT fans who made the trip from TN and elsewhere. By far, they were the nicest out-of-town fans I have encountered in the 20+ years I've been attending games at the RB. I promised myself then I would make every effort to make to this year's game.

I have discovered that UT football is steeped in tradition and I'm sure I'll be singing "Rocky Top" before I leave town. Neyland Stadium itself is a classic and has always been on my list of college stadiums to visit. Win or lose, this should be a great weekend.

I will be joined by 2 friends and we will be arriving in Knoxville Friday afternoon. I would like some recommendations on the following:

1) Are there any activities on Friday night that are worth attending?;

2) Where is the prime tailgating spot? (We'll want to witness the Vols walking into the stadium);

3) How early should we arrive on Satuday to get into the prime tailgating area?;

4) Where can we find the best BBQ in K-Town?;

5) What is the best sports bar in town?

Any and all responses will be greatly appreciated. Based on last year's experience, I expect to find the Vols fans to be very hospitable and classy. I hope you can say the same about those Bruin fans who will be attending.

Thank you very much.

p.s. Please do not make the mistake of comparing us to the fans of that school across town. The words "classy" and "Trojan fans" are never found in the same sentence.

Just A Little More Perspective Please

78Bruin — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 07:18:20 -0000

Over 24 hours since the disappointing loss. Plenty of time to reflect on the meaning of the defeat and ample opportunity to peruse the rantings of the "chicken littles" in the Bruin blogosphere and listen to local media types write off the season. I even saw someone on this website refer to the team as "underachievers." What part of 21-3 is underachieving??

I am an eternal pessimist (I'm an SF Giants fan --nuff said?)and I still believe this team will make it to San Antonio. Why? Because they know how to win. They are, to a man, winners. And not even winners win every game.

Are they not entitled to have a bad game against a talented, well-coached team with nothing to lose, a team with their backs against the wall which is desperately trying to salvage their season in front of their loyal fans?

The Bruins walked off the floor with their heads down, as a team ashamed of their performance should do. But they did not lose their dignity. No post-game excuses were offered. Nobody said the extra day threw them off. Nobody said they missed Luc. Nobody said DC was feeling under the weather. Aside from some ill-advised grumbling from a frustrated KL--which I guarantee you've heard the last of--the team comported themselves like the champions they are.

Don't forget, they still are kids. They can't get jacked up for every game. They left nothing on the floor in Pullman and it showed in Seattle. It was just a bad game -- their worst of the year. So what.

I can always measure the strength of a Bruin team in the way I react to an unexpected loss. Just think back to your reaction to the Utah and ND losses. When the anger subsided, you really weren't surprised were you? Compare that to yesterday. I was not angry.Surprised? Yes--I firmly believe this team can win every game. Disappointed? Yes. Worried? Nah.

With or without Luc, I guarantee you they will find a way to win on Sunday. The intensity and focus will return. And so will the smiles on your faces.

Thoughts On That School Across Town

78Bruin — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:01:40 -0000

Just like all of you, I hate $C with unbridled passion and my hatred often clouds my perspective. That being said, I've come to realize a couple of things which only serve to justify their vile nature.

First, the Reggie Bush scandal. Before last night, I thought the whole thing would just go away with minor, if any, repurcussions. Sure, I thought Bush was violating NCAA rules, but, hey, who doesn't?

Last nite I watched the piece featuring Lloyd Lake on HBO's Real Sports. Lake made a very good case against Reggie who arrived on campus to discover that he needed better wheels to ride around in. Hence, the flow of monthly payments began leading eventually to the purchase of the house for mom and lowlife stepdad. The money "lent" to Reggie totalled $291K with Reggie promising to repay. According to Lake, Reggie needed cash, averaging $3K per month, to enable him to buy clothes and other trimmings that befit his BMOC status. Soon Reggie had a pimped out car and a shitload of new clothes. Lake said he would drive up from San Diego to make the drop-offs which Bush went through great lengths to conceal. Obviously, Bush knew he was violating NCAA rules.

Of course, $C will cloak itself in Sgt. Schultz defense. My question is, and this goes for any major college, at what point should the schools know that something is amiss and take it upon themselves to investigate? Somebody in the administration or football staff knew Bush was riding around in a pimped out car and was wearing expensive clothes, etc. They also knew he came from a family whose income could not provide for these goodies. I'm certain Bush was not the only one getting the goods and it is implausible that the school would not know what was going on.

Bush's conduct is also a result of the $C footballers thinking that they are above the law. Remember the immortal words uttered by Ray Malaugga (sp) after he punched out a student at an off-campus party: "We own the police!" Where does that come from??? After the school conducts its mandatory briefing of the "student-athletes" on the NCAA rules, do they wink at the players??

Next, I noticed the Trolie BB team has 3 players who attended Stoneridge Prep. I looked up the school and learned it is a basketball mill. They do not play any home games at Stoneridge Prep. The team is akin to a high school travel team which spends weeks on end playing top high school teams around the country. For more info on the "school" you may want to read an article by Eli Sasnow in the March 12, 2006 edition of the Washington Post. (Sorry, as a Luddite, I do not know how to link the article.)

Taj Gibson, a Stonridge 'grad," went to high school in his native New York before he came west to attend Stoneridge. I believe he was 20 when he "graduated."

Has Timmay sold his soul? Stoneridge and other "schools" around the country are nothing more than waystations for aspiring B-ballers. I would be embarassed if UCLA recruited a kid from this type of "school." (I'm thinking AA and LRMAM may have attended similar academies, however, as foreigners, I think there's a valid distinction.) Fortunately, we have academic standards and BH.

On a closing note, I would like to point out, as many others have here, that $C's rise in BB helps us out during the conference season. But there has to be a limit to their ascent. When they were way ahead of NC in last year's Sweet 16 game, I was facing my worst fucking nightmare -- a banner at the (Gaylen) Center. God help us all.

20 Things I Don't Want in a New Coach

78Bruin — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:23:45 -0000

We're all spending lots of time specifying what we want in our new coach. Here's a list of 20 things I do NOT want to see in our new coach:

I do NOT want a coach who:

Has no previous head coaching experience;
Is recommended by Terry Donahue;
Has perfected the "deer in headlights" look on the sidelines;
Spends more time preparing his game wardrobe than preparing his game plan;
Stuffs his play chart down the front of his pants;
PLAYS NOT TO LOSE;
Uses the word "opportunity" in every other sentence;
Will use the words "learning" and "growing" when describing his team;
Cannot articulate a thought without using cliches;

10.Shields his players from the media;
11.Ignores background checks on potential asst. coaching candidates;
12.Spends halftime doing anything other than thinking of needed adjustments;
13.Does not know which players on the roster are eligible to play;
14.Has no balls on 4th and short (see #6);
15.Sleeps good at night after a loss;
16.Throws players/asst. coaches under the bus;
17.Gets a new OC every year;
18.Thinks the WCO is easily learned by college players;
19.Looks like he doesn't give a shit; and
20.Is in over his head.

I'm sure y'all can come up with a lot more. So have fun and go for it!

I Can't Even Get Excited for the SC Game

78Bruin — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:13:11 -0000

This sort of feels like the first AA meeting...

I have been a Bruin fan since the early 60's, graduated from UCLA in '78 and have been a football season ticket holder since '82.

Like all of you, I eagerly awaited this season. We had 20 returning starters, a soft schedule and a solid defense. This was to be the year we have been patiently awaiting.

The season ended for me on 9/15 when we lost to Utah. Since then I attended only the ND and Cal games, electing to give my tickets to friends. The only game I watched in its entirety was the WSU game, a most agonizing experience.

I believe KD was hired because he (a)is a Bruin; (b)is African-American; (c) came cheaply; or (d) a combination of all three. Why else would a school with UCLA's athletic tradition hire a coach with no head coaching experience and relatively little asst. coaching background? I accepted it and, like the rest of us, hoped he would grow into the job.

During the first year, I sensed a flaw in his game coaching. He coached not to lose games. To establish an offensive attack that relied on safe plays and a defense that typically played it straight up. Nothing was left to chance...there were no risks to be taken. This proved to be the wrong approach as evidenced in many games but none greater than last year's ND game where we needed one first down -- one goddam first down!-- to pull off one of the greatest wins in Bruin history. Everyone saw ND pack 10 men into the box. A simple play-action pass would have easily netted six or more yards on first down. But even that was too risky for KD. Three running plays up the middle and wake up the ghosts. I'll never forget walking out of ND Stadium, with the roar of the crowd ringing in my ears, and encountering several disgusted Bruin fans who were calling for KD's head. On the bus ride back to the parking lot, several Irish fans, noticing our shell-shocked faces, attempted to console us by mentioning the names of Bob Davie and the other Irish coach, whose name I can't remember, that brought shame to their program. They knew a shitty coach when they saw one.

A month and a half later, we witnessed 13-9 and he was off the hook.

This year, coaching not to lose has reared its ugly head in almost every game. The punt on 4th and 1 in the Cal game still rankles me. Why do coaches play it that way? Do they lack confidence in their players to execute, fearing that a mistake will blow the game? Are they fearful of unbridled criticism for taking a chance that fails? I simply do not understand. To me, it sends the wrong message to the players that are heavily recruited and nurtured through the program. How can those kids have confidence in their coach if he does feel confident they will execute properly?

Don't let me get started on lack of preparation. As JRW says, failure to prepare is preparing to fail. Just ask Ben Howland.

I am somewhat ashamed to have abandoned this team. They deserve my unmitigated support. They deserve to hear us screaming for the defense on a key third down play. But I really don't care anymore. There -- I said it. Shame on me? No, shame on my school that did not care enough to hire a coach who would not coach not to lose and would have his team fully prepared every Saturday. Was anybody noticing Steve Lavin?

Between 1965 and 2002, I attended every SC game. Not this year. I broke my string of 38 consecutive games in '03 when I chose not to go to the Mausoleum to witness an ass-whooping. Three minutes into the game, I knew I made the right call. I feel the same way this year. Of course, I hope I'm wrong and we find a way to beat those mfer's.

I trust that DG will heed the call and end this charade. UCLA's legendary athletic tradition demands a team that is well-prepared and plays hard every Saturday..not just when it's back is up against the wall.

F**k SC and GO BRUINS!!!

Won't Get Fooled Again

78Bruin — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:40:22 -0000

"The change it had to come, we knew it all along."

Leading up to the Wazzu game, I promised myself I was not going to buy into the crap that this game would be no different than Utah or ND. I read and ignored the quotes from players during the week saying that the seniors would step up and not let it happen again. Not even Nestor's confidence that a win would be forthcoming was a compelling reason to feel good about the game.

I've been down this road too many times before. I wasn't going down it again. I had no reason whatsoever to think it would be different this time.

The $C loss got me fired up for the 3:30 kickoff. Bell's TD run on the 3rd play from scrimmage was comforting, but how many times have I seen a team score on their 1st possession only never find the endzone again?

The sickening feeling started on WSU's first drive which came with unexpected ease. I accepted Bell's injury on the ensuing possession as our fate. Markey's fumble sealed it. At that point, halfway thru the 1st quarter, I knew the game was lost. Nevertheless, I continued to watch. The train wreck mentality.

Like all of you,I am so bitterly dissapointed. Not so much at the losses, but at the way the team comes into games totally unprepared and the inability of the coaches to make in-game adjustments.

At this point, I'm also downright angry. I'm pissed at the way our coach is so dismissive about these failures. His comments to the press are demeaning and childish. His cliche laden verbiage is nauseating. (I swear if he uses the word "opportunity" one more time ...)

I'm pissed because my alma mater, the school that prides itself on being the 1st to win 100 NCAA championships, cannot put a well-prepared, well-coached team on the football field. It's a disgrace and an embarassment.

As a season ticket holder, I have no desire to attend any of the remaining home games. I know the players deserve my support and I may change my mind as my anger subsides, if it does subside.

This is so reminiscent of the Lavin years. It was hard to watch those teams lose to CSUN and N. Arizona. Our beloved basketball program kicked to the gutter. At that time, as I do now, my expectations were not to win every game and win NCs...that would be unrealistic. My expectation was that my Bruins would take the court or the field fully prepared to do battle and play hard throughout the game. That is not an unrealistic expectation. If they were well-prepared and played hard and still lost, I would have no problem with that.

As the final seconds ticked away in Pullman, I found solace in the knowledge that this was the proverbial straw. There is no way DG can keep KD beyond this year. He's got to end this five-year long roller coaster ride. Until he pushes that button, I'm getting off. I've had enough and besides, the Ben Ball Warriors are warming up.

I hope DG does not compound his previous mistake and hire Walker as a replacement. "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Trojans Unsportsmanlike?

78Bruin — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:17:59 -0000

The only college football pleasure I had this week was watching Trojan Rewind the other nite. Needless to say, I skipped Bruin Rewind which should be re-named Bruin Unwind.

Immediately after the game, the Trojans blew off the traditional congratulatory meeting of the squads in the center of field and instead sulked off to the tunnel with nary a handshake. Even Trojan shill Pete Arbogast said on the air that he was embarassed for his Trojans.

Don't really believe that was the "humanitarian" thing to do. Pom Pom looked even more shellshocked than he did on 12/2/06... if that's possible.

Cameras caught female fans bawling and other fans looking like they just witnessed armageddon. Many remained in their seats, numbed in disbelief. Great, great stuff.

Never was the following cliche ever more appropriate....the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Alas, the joy of this monumental upset is tarnished by the sad state of our football program. But why should I be Gloomy Gus? We're in first place and we beat Stanford...in their crib. Those losses to Utah and Notre Dame are just a blip on the radar. We've got a whole new season ahead of us. 6 and 0 baby!! Can't you feel it?!?!

Did This Really Happen?

78Bruin — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 22:55:44 -0000

Forgive me if this has been discussed here already, but my quick check of weekend posts did not find any mention of what I considered to be a huge mistake on KD's part. I was listening to the game on the radio (which often can cause confusion to the listener courtesty of CR) and it occurred on OSU's 2nd TD drive. OSU was flagged for holding on a 3rd and 2 play which went for no gain at around the Bruin 34 yardline. Rather than accept the penalty, moving the ball out of FG range and creating a 3rd and long situation, KD declines and OSU goes for it and, of course, gets the first.

Even the color guy called out KD. I thought it was a no brainer. OSU's QB was even shakier than ours; we were down seven with no signs of life for the offense -- why risk going down by 14? Did KD really think OSU would kick a FG on 4th and 2?

I was really pissed off and even cursed in front of my 13 y/o (which I try hard not to do, but during Bruin games, it's nearly impossible). My son asked me why I was so mad and I told him that OSU would come down and score -- which they did and my anger crested anew.

Later on, after the Bruins won, my son reminded me of my outburst and commented that KD made the right decision since we won. I could only laugh, especially when I realized that is the same logic many Bruin fans use when analyzing KD's coaching ability.

Did anyone have the same reaction to the play?

December 2, 2006, A Day That Will Live in Infamy

78Bruin — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:08:59 -0000

I was listening to the game radio broadcast the other night (something I rarely do) and repeatedly heard, during commercial breaks, a 5 second station ID which said something like: "KLAC 570... where the Bruins beat Troy."

It struck me kind of odd and as I kept hearing it, it made me realize how everyone associated with the Bruin football family, from the team on down to its broadcasters and fans, needs to move on. Yes, 12/2/06 was a great, great day in Bruin history. I still get goosebumps watching highlights. But really folks, is that the pinnacle of our success? In a way, it's very symbolic of our lowered expectations -- that we crown the achievement of beating our arch rival during a season filled with disappointment and unfulfilled expectations.

But, what did that victory really mean? Here at BN, we all know that victory, much like Lavin's 2nd round NCAA tourney victories, saved KD's ass and assured another season of inconsistent play from unprepared teams. It assured that we would live to see another day like the Utah game.

So as some continue to celebrate that great win over $C, we need to understand that winning that game masked a cancer that is slowly killing our beloved football program in agonizing fashion.

Morgan Center...We Have a Problem

78Bruin — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:59:01 -0000

Last week, following the BYU game, I commented on BO's performance and stated that KD may put BO on a "short leash."

While I have every reason to believe that BO sustained blows to head which have caused him headaches, I also have some suspicion as to the severity of the headaches and the absence of other symptoms of a concussion.

I know in pro sports, athletes who have underperformed are mysteriously placed on the disabled list with phantom injuries.

I am not saying BO's headaches do not exist. What I am saying, however, is that in KD's eagerness to jumpstart the team by inserting PC as starter, BO's injuries may be exaggerated. I read earlier this week that BO first complained of the headaches either Saturday night or Sunday. I may be wrong, but I believe KD first informed the media on Tuesday that BO had the headaches. He did not mention it, I believe, at his Monday presser.

Now, after saying PC will likely be starting, he has not ruled out BO as the backup. Is this because if PC shits the bed, he can run BO back in?

Given the shadiness of KD's comments to the media (notice I did not say he was lying), what are Bruin fans supposed to believe?

I don't know what to believe anymore from this clown who masquerades as our head coach.

BTW, the loss to Utah really summoned up memories of the Lavin years. I specifically recall SL's comments after a blowout loss at Stanford where he joked about it being the largest deficit in history. I find KD's post-Utah comments to be equally despicable and horrifying.